Hi
The first wagon I drove on a regular basis was a Guy big j, COM 977K It had a Perkins 540cu in.V8, 6speed box with 2speed axle,it also had Dunlop maxaret anti skid brakes (sort of primative abs 
) and ran at 28ton gross.It would do about 75mph if you had the nerve. I had driven many wagons before that one as a mechanic but not daily.
LEN185H, 12 ton gross ex Barker & Dobson sweets van. With a 330 engine & 5 speed box that truck took me all over the UK.
Ross.
The first one that I could call “mine” was a Sed-Ak 400 (GWJ 823 V, Gardner 201) from 1983 to May '86. Then Foden 8 legger (avatar, C 433 LHE R/R 265 Li) from May 1986 until November '96, Foden 8 legger (P 207 AJU, R/R 335) from November '96 to November 97.
Change of company then from November '97 until mid '2000, Foden 6 wheeler (D 704 PWL, ■■■■■■■ L10 250, ex Smiths of Bletchingdon).
Foden 6 wheeler (F 358 FUJ, ■■■■■■■ L10 270, ex ARC) mid 2000 until made redundant December 2002.
Plenty before when I did relief driving and fitting though.
Pete.
the first lorry i drove was a ford d1614 gws 544n a long wheelbase flat ford 360 turbo and 6 speed box i did my test straight to class 1 on another ford d series a 2817 with a perkins v8 and an 8 speed box but the first time om the road with provisonal plates was a d1000 xrl739j that had a 5 speed box and 2 speed axle it would climbe a mountain and had a good top speed also drove a seddom 13/4 /354 could walk faster
Price:
Dave the Renegade:
What was the first lorry that you drove on a regular basis. I started at 19 on an Austin FG builders lorry a 3 ton tipper with a 4 cylinder deisel,before that I drove vans from 17 onwards as well as general builders jobs.
Cheers Dave.My first lorry that I drove from my 17th birthday untill I was 21,-- was a Thames Trader 5 tonner flat bed with drop sides. I drove the Trader for 4 years hauling pitwood to most of the coal pits,- Bowaters E’ Port,-and Sudbrook Pulp Mill.
My return loads were cattle food and fertilizers from Avonmouth before the Severn Bridge, and Slag from Portalbot and Stoke on Trent.
I was hauling slag and lime lose in bulk when using the drop sides, and shovelling it into the lime spreader. I even drove the lime spreaders. The loades were allways 8 tons – but the timber loads were between 8 and 11 tons - The only trouble I had with Trader was 4 new gearboxes. Well that was my life until I was 21 ( 1968 ).
I could write another book from 1968 to 1997. – I had to finish lorry driving at the age of 50 due to having a stroke.
I am enjoying life now on ill health retirement.
regards - Hywel Price.
Hi Hywel,
You are the same year as me 1947,did lime spreading as well as hauling,used to fetch slag from Margam back up to Radnorshire with a TK ,then went on a Commer Maxiload,a proper lorry after the TK,did drive a Thames Trader a few times,drove Dodge Kew and K series,plus Leylands and a few others,must have passed you on the road when I fetched pipes from Albion concrete products in 1967 with the little FG.
Cheers Dave.
c reg leyland roadtrain twin steer for robert int at sandwich
took a load of steel coils out of folkestone docks to cwmbran south wales
what a shock trying to stop a 38 tonner a cple weeks after passing my test
An under 3 ton unladen TK flat weeks before my 18th birthday got me some experience, then onto a (redline cabbed) Cheiftain as my 1st HGV. But it took a further 12 years of rigids before someone gave me the chance to use my class 1 and try out what I thought would be the glamour trucks, was it all worth it ?
Traded it all in for teaching L- drivers, missing the lorries but not the early starts.
Dave the Renegade:
Price:
Dave the Renegade:
What was the first lorry that you drove on a regular basis. I started at 19 on an Austin FG builders lorry a 3 ton tipper with a 4 cylinder deisel,before that I drove vans from 17 onwards as well as general builders jobs.
Cheers Dave.My first lorry that I drove from my 17th birthday untill I was 21,-- was a Thames Trader 5 tonner flat bed with drop sides. I drove the Trader for 4 years hauling pitwood to most of the coal pits,- Bowaters E’ Port,-and Sudbrook Pulp Mill.
My return loads were cattle food and fertilizers from Avonmouth before the Severn Bridge, and Slag from Portalbot and Stoke on Trent.
I was hauling slag and lime lose in bulk when using the drop sides, and shovelling it into the lime spreader. I even drove the lime spreaders. The loades were allways 8 tons – but the timber loads were between 8 and 11 tons - The only trouble I had with Trader was 4 new gearboxes. Well that was my life until I was 21 ( 1968 ).
I could write another book from 1968 to 1997. – I had to finish lorry driving at the age of 50 due to having a stroke.
I am enjoying life now on ill health retirement.
regards - Hywel Price.Hi Hywel,
You are the same year as me 1947,did lime spreading as well as hauling,used to fetch slag from Margam back up to Radnorshire with a TK ,then went on a Commer Maxiload,a proper lorry after the TK,did drive a Thames Trader a few times,drove Dodge Kew and K series,plus Leylands and a few others,must have passed you on the road when I fetched pipes from Albion concrete products in 1967 with the little FG.
Cheers Dave.
Well Dave my Lad I am a 47 vintage as well and the first motor I drove on a very irregular basis you understand was the Octopus & trailer at 19 !! I remember we had been into Leyland Motors at Oldbury one afternoon for a running repair so we sets off down onto the M5 and my mate Eric pulls over and tells me to take it down to Strensham let him get his head down and no flying !! Well this Shell Scammell sails past and waves at me so I thought right oh my son keep your F*****g elbows in !! so I steadely winds the 680 up we were fully loaded for Newport and the Abbey . Well I flew past this F*r in the tanker as if he was parked up ! My mate was sleeping like a baby !! We pulls onto Strensham and were in the Queue waiting to be serverd when who walks in but this gob Se off Shell straight up to us and asked what speed we were doing ahen we passed him as he had been clocking 60 !! Well my mate went ■■■■■■ balistic at me afterwards as you might guess as I had stepped right over the mark !! He didn’nt let me behind the wheel for a couple of weeks and then only when he was awake !! This shell tanker had been EMPTY into the bargain !! The two Brady 8 wheelers were high geared machines and I also remember another time we had been in Oldbury and the foreman fitter ( I think his name was Desy Bull ) clocked us at 93 Mph on the M5 just to see what speed we could do !! he followed us in a Triumph Vitesse service van ! those days were some of the best times I had – not a care in the World and in 2/3 years after that I thought I had the ■■■■■■ World on my shoulders !! Happy Days Dennis.
Bewick:
Dave the Renegade:
Price:
Dave the Renegade:
What was the first lorry that you drove on a regular basis. I started at 19 on an Austin FG builders lorry a 3 ton tipper with a 4 cylinder deisel,before that I drove vans from 17 onwards as well as general builders jobs.
Cheers Dave.My first lorry that I drove from my 17th birthday untill I was 21,-- was a Thames Trader 5 tonner flat bed with drop sides. I drove the Trader for 4 years hauling pitwood to most of the coal pits,- Bowaters E’ Port,-and Sudbrook Pulp Mill.
My return loads were cattle food and fertilizers from Avonmouth before the Severn Bridge, and Slag from Portalbot and Stoke on Trent.
I was hauling slag and lime lose in bulk when using the drop sides, and shovelling it into the lime spreader. I even drove the lime spreaders. The loades were allways 8 tons – but the timber loads were between 8 and 11 tons - The only trouble I had with Trader was 4 new gearboxes. Well that was my life until I was 21 ( 1968 ).
I could write another book from 1968 to 1997. – I had to finish lorry driving at the age of 50 due to having a stroke.
I am enjoying life now on ill health retirement.
regards - Hywel Price.Hi Hywel,
You are the same year as me 1947,did lime spreading as well as hauling,used to fetch slag from Margam back up to Radnorshire with a TK ,then went on a Commer Maxiload,a proper lorry after the TK,did drive a Thames Trader a few times,drove Dodge Kew and K series,plus Leylands and a few others,must have passed you on the road when I fetched pipes from Albion concrete products in 1967 with the little FG.
Cheers Dave.Well Dave my Lad I am a 47 vintage as well and the first motor I drove on a very irregular basis you understand was the Octopus & trailer at 19 !! I remember we had been into Leyland Motors at Oldbury one afternoon for a running repair so we sets off down onto the M5 and my mate Eric pulls over and tells me to take it down to Strensham let him get his head down and no flying !! Well this Shell Scammell sails past and waves at me so I thought right oh my son keep your F*****g elbows in !! so I steadely winds the 680 up we were fully loaded for Newport and the Abbey . Well I flew past this F*r in the tanker as if he was parked up ! My mate was sleeping like a baby !! We pulls onto Strensham and were in the Queue waiting to be serverd when who walks in but this gob Se off Shell straight up to us and asked what speed we were doing ahen we passed him as he had been clocking 60 !! Well my mate went ■■■■■■ balistic at me afterwards as you might guess as I had stepped right over the mark !! He didn’nt let me behind the wheel for a couple of weeks and then only when he was awake !! This shell tanker had been EMPTY into the bargain !! The two Brady 8 wheelers were high geared machines and I also remember another time we had been in Oldbury and the foreman fitter ( I think his name was Desy Bull ) clocked us at 93 Mph on the M5 just to see what speed we could do !! he followed us in a Triumph Vitesse service van ! those days were some of the best times I had – not a care in the World and in 2/3 years after that I thought I had the ■■■■■■ World on my shoulders !! Happy Days Dennis.
Tut Tut Dennis,You accused me of being rough,you were a bloody nutcase,driving a heavy underage and at high speeds. The fastest I drove was the KM Bedford that I drove for C M Philpotts of Kington,I did 75 up the M50 from Strensham towards the Ledbury junction where we came off and the lorry was empty. I know of a Tilcon driver doing 90in a loaded Foden 8 wheeler with a ■■■■■■■ 290,and that was on an A road, bloody mad.
Cheers Dave
straight from a bedford cf pick-up on friday, to dodge artic with btc four-in- line trailer with local load,to get a bit of experience! the boss said! on the monday,tuesday up the road to liverpool docks,15 tons of handball ,and no idea!
had the dodge for about 6months,then promotion to tk with leylland 400,GDD794D,what a brilliant motor,with the 2 speed axle,it really went well,next came a km with the bedford engine,good motor but shook my teeth out! then after about 8 months, great! a new motor,TDF ■■6H, bmc mastiff with the perkins v8,what a pile of manure that was,gears all over the place,like stirring custard,and being deafened at the same time!
next a change of employer,and a aec mercury artic RAE 799G, sheer heaven after the BMC.
In 1996,M575 MKJ,a 113 topline,lovely lorry,shame about the complete t.wats i was workin for tho,white n orange fridges based at lympne in kent,had the word speed as the second part of the title.
Then in 2003 with my own money i bought a 1976 scammell crusader for restoration.
The first lorry I drove on the road was an AEC Mercury Park Royal cab.THIS was 1968 I was seventeen.I worked with Caledonian at Abington,and I was sent with the driver to help him load lambs at Biggar slaughter house.It was tight to reverse into so I was sent to help him.On the way back he stopped and said you drive.It was only for a few miles but I felt like a king.
First lorry I drove was a army bedford in 1955, the one in civy street was a Guy Vixen, my last one was a Volvo in 1999, my first car I owned a 1926 Morris minor su carbs cable brakes, wire wheels, cast iron luggage rack, gravity fed petrol tank, adjustable windscreen. 
Norman Ingram:
First lorry I drove was a army bedford in 1955, the one in civy street was a Guy Vixen, my last one was a Volvo in 1999, my first car I owned a 1926 Morris minor su carbs cable brakes, wire wheels, cast iron luggage rack, gravity fed petrol tank, adjustable windscreen.
bet you wished you still had that car norman, be worth a few bob now.
The first lorry I drove legally was Scammell Super Constructor 875BGJ it was a 6x6.I had just started mating at Pickfords and on the first sunday away I drove it from the digs to where the trailer was parked I was 21 and only had a few months bus driving and to drive a beast like that (left ■■■■■■ as well ) was some experience and I must have been O K as with in a few weeks Cliff my driver used to have me doing a bit of driving as you were able to do 14 hours with 2 drivers then on heavy haulage and all the crew earn t more after about 8 months I was on an old Scammmell highwayman 766CLN as one of the older drivers was off long term sick and that had vacuum brakes and a gate change.This was a wagon my dad had driven and he had let me have a go off road while still at school.
first lorry i ever drove prior to passing my class 2 was 4 wheel super comet unx69g on site working on the bridges when they put the m4 through pyle j37.
my first lorry after i passed my test in 1988 when i was 21 was a scania 81 4 wheeler tipper.
Hiya my first drive was a 3 month old big J 180 gardner i was 17ish they was building the M6 north of Carnforth and i was on ■■■■■■■■ my mate give me the wheel while he had a kip,(he had a heavy night on the Friday)this sortof was quite regular on a saturday morning for a while.My first proper full time job
was for Croda Chemicals on a ergo albion artic with a 401doing multi drop around London form Leek.
John
Yes steve, I had it in 1959 or just afterwards, I still have the log book, the small ends went, and had nowhere to repair it or keep it, so the council made me move it from near my brothers house, so I had the scrap car chap tow it away. 
STEVE OWEN:
Norman Ingram:
First lorry I drove was a army bedford in 1955, the one in civy street was a Guy Vixen, my last one was a Volvo in 1999, my first car I owned a 1926 Morris minor su carbs cable brakes, wire wheels, cast iron luggage rack, gravity fed petrol tank, adjustable windscreen.bet you wished you still had that car norman, be worth a few bob now.
First vehicle i drove for a living was B943 BGL, Merc 307D van at 17 years old.
Was sent from Penzance to Plymouth which to me, was like doing a middle east trip.
Remember buying maps and phoning home to tell Mum that i wasn’t sure if i’d be home for tea.
First HGV,4 years later was a Seddon Atkinson 200 flatbed,SPH 16X.
10 tons of spuds from Lands End to Irlam.
Road seemed to go on forever,didn’t think i was ever going to get there.